As early as the 4th edition of the Festival in 1951, the CST awarded its “Grand Prix Technique” to the film The Tales of Hoffmann by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. Since then, the prize has collected an eclectic filmography ranging from Alain Resnais to Orson Welles, from Ingmar Bergman to Shohei Imamura.

In 2003, the “Grand Prix Technique de la CST” became the “Vulcan Prize”, to recognise the exceptional contribution made by an artistic collaborator (director of photography, head set-designer, costume designer, editor, sound engineer, mixer etc.) to a cinematographic work, making it possible to sublimate the director’s wishes.

In 2019, it was renamed the « CST Award for Best Artist-Technician ».

By means of this international award, the CST wishes to highlight the importance of the creative and technical know-how of all the world’s film technicians, by selecting, each year, the person who has made the best artistic contribution.

 The award comprises two main events:

• Announcement of the winner at the official closing ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival.
• The presentation of the CST Award to the Artist-Technician at a gala evening organised by the CST.

Winners

2023: Johnnie Burn, Sound Designer and Chief Sound Editor on Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest.
2022 : The entire sound team – Jonas Rudels and Jacob Ilgner, Sound Engineers; Andreas Franck and Bent Holm, Sound Design & Re-recording Mixers – for Ruben Östlund’s film Triangle of Sadness to salute the creativity and staging of the sounds that help immerse viewers in the frenzy of this acid, madcap satire.
2021 : Vladislav Opeliants, Director of Photography on Kirill Serebrennikov’s Petrov’s Fever.
2019 : Flora Volpelière, Chief Editor, and Julien Poupard (AFC), Director of Photography for their contributions to the stunning and generous film Les Misérables by Ladj Ly.
2018 : Shin Joom-Hee, art director of Lee Chang-Dong’s Burning, for her exceptional contribution to characterisation.
2017 : Josefin Åsberg, for her remarkable artistic contribution, consistent with the inventiveness of the film The Square, directed by Ruben Östlund.
2016 : Seong-Hie Ryu, for her inspiring artistic direction of the film Mademoiselle (Ah-ga-ssi) directed by Park Chan-Wook.
2015: Tamas Zanyi, sound designer, for the outstanding contribution of sound to the narrative of the film Saul Fia (Son of Saul) directed by László Nemes.
2014: Dick Pope, BSC, for his lighting of Turner’s works in Mr. Turner, directed by Mike Leigh.
2013: Antoine Héberlé, Director of Photography, AFC, of Grigris, for achieving such a refined and humble result. Film by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun.
2012: Rémy Julienne, honorary Vulcan award for his prestigious career as a stunt director.
2012: Charlotte Bruus Christensen for her exceptional camera work, which played a decisive role in the cinematographic storytelling of Thomas Vinterberg’s Jagten.
2011: José Luis Alcaine for his lighting work that specifically serves the narrative of Pedro Almodóvar’s La piel que habito.
2010: Bob Beemer and Jon Taylor for their mixing work on Biutiful.
2009: Aitor Berenguer, mixer for Isabel Coixet’s Map of the sounds of Tokyo.
2008: Luca Bigazzi, cinematographer, and Angelo Raguseo, mixer, for Il Divo, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.
2007: Janusz Kaminski, director of photography, for Le scaphandre et le papillon by Julian Schnabel.
2006: Stephen Mirrione, editor, for his work on Alejandro Iñárritu’s Babel.
2005: Leslie Shatz, sound engineer, for the sound design of Gus Van Sant’s Last days and Robert Rodriguez for the visual treatment of Sin City.
2004: Eric Gautier, director of photography, for Clean by Olivier Assayas and Carnets de Voyage by Walter Salles.
2003: Tom Stern, director of photography, for Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River.

Find out more about the Cannes Film Festival prize list.